Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Michigan Booster Seat Law Update

On Monday I wrote a post about my concerns behind the new booster seat law that goes into effect today, July 1, 2008. I was wondering if my nine year old with autism had to be put back into a booster seat because he is under four feet nine inches tall. Since then I emailed the office of Bill Caul, the state representative for my district and received a reply from an assistant which included the link that spelled out the law much more clearly than the news stories I had seen. This is what the lawmakers have written:

"A child who is 4 years of age or older but less than 8 years of age and who is less than 4 feet 9 inches in height shall be properly secured in a child restraint system in accordance with the child restraint manufacturer’s and vehicle manufacturer’s instructions and the standards prescribed in 49 CFR 571.213."

Ok, that's pretty clear. Whew, we're safe! That said, we may buy a new vehicle that comes with booster seats in order to meet safety recommendations and hopefully those seats will be removable if/when necessary. I'll also try make sure I have some sort of proof in my wallet that shows that my small guy is indeed older than seven years old. I should have the photo security card (with his birth date, height and weight) that is now issued with school pictures somewhere. Here is the link where one can read the law in its entirety.